Book picks similar to
Dissolution by J.L. Campbell


fiction
fiction-african-american
african-american-fiction
betrayal

A Second Chance


Bryan Mooney - 2012
    She was smart, attractive and well educated. After losing the love of her life she decided she had to get away from it all. Ravenna did what everyone would love to do…, she left and never looked back. She made a comfortable life on a small Greek island paradise nestled in the southern blue Aegean sea. It was filled with friendly people, beautiful beaches and warm sunny days. The strong willed woman thought she had left her life behind her… but she was wrong. Now, torn between memories and guilt, she must decide- but will she get…a second chance?

About That Summer (The Menon Women, #3)


Sudha Nair - 2019
    She’s looking forward to an uneventful, lazy summer back home from college – but will her wish come true?Sid is recovering from a nasty break-up. He wants to get away from all the negativity back home and decides a family vacation is just what he needs. Or is it?Then, of course, there’s Neha – Ria’s mother. A widow, an entrepreneur, a teacher, and a mother, among other things, this gutsy fireball of an achiever is confident and ready to take on a whole lot more. Will the universe continue to conspire to keep her and Prithvi apart?Summer sparks fly! Romance is in the air...But will the drama of the jealous ex-lover, the scheming starlet, the backstabber, the resentful childhood friend, be too much for our quirky, yet very close-knit Menon family?Will Ria find the storybook romance she's been missing all of her life?Will Sid be able to overcome the ghosts of his past, and claim the girl of his dreams?>>>Read this fun, breezy, and light tale to find out – with lots of happy glimpses into the lives of characters from the prequels and the further unfolding of lives of the Menon sisters, Shweta and Neha.

Life in Icicle Falls Series Books 1-3: Romance on Mountain View Road\Sweet Dreams on Center Street\Merry Ex-Mas


Sheila Roberts - 2015
    But now it looks as if they're about to lose Sweet Dreams to the bank. Can Samantha, the oldest daughter and new head of the company, come up with a way to save it? Events seem to be conspiring against her and to make matters worse, the company's fate is in the hands of her archenemy, Blake Preston, the bank manager with the football-hero good looks. It's enough to drive her to chocolate. But Blake's also enough to convince her that there's something even better than chocolate. Merry Ex-Mas Cass Wilkes has been looking forward to her daughter Danielle's Christmas wedding—until Dani announces that she wants her father, Cass's ex, to walk her down the aisle. Seriously? Not only that; he, his trophy wife and their yappy little dog will be staying with Cass… Meanwhile, her friend Charlene Albach arrives at their weekly chick-flick night in shock. She's just seen the ghost of Christmas past: her ex-husband, Richard, who left a year ago when he ran off with the hostess from her restaurant. Now the hostess is history, and he wants to kiss and make up. Hide the mistletoe! And bring out the hot buttered rum, because the holidays aren't easy for Ella O'Brien, either. Ella, newly divorced, is still sharing the house with her ex while they wait for the place to sell. The love is gone. Or is it? Romance on Mountain View Road (Previously published as What She Wants) Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure women out. When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking — Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night…and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!

The Arrangement


Shay Gray - 2013
    Being granted only a few months to live, he constructs an idea on how to care for his four children in the event of his death. He comes up with an idea he calls, "The Arrangement". The only problem is convincing his wife and the two mothers’ of his children of his idea. "The Arrangement", is all three women must agree to move into one house for six months with their kids in order to receive any money from his will. When Terrance’s wife, Tanya learns the details of "The Arrangement" she is disgusted. She has basically put her life on hold after becoming pregnant to take care of her husband. She finds herself emotionally drawn to her husband’s best friend for comfort, as her husband’s illness takes a toll on her. Eventually,she finds herself facing her own demise and loses everything she has come to love Portia Jackson is the mother of two of Terrance’s children. She owns her own hair salon, drinks like a fish, and stays in brand name clothing. She is a rude, no nonsense, type of woman who makes it her business to let everyone know what she feels, or thinks, no matter whose feelings get hurt in the process. After a secret she has held on to for years threatens her inclusion in "The Arrangement", her world begins to crumble around her. Afraid of losing the glamorous life she is accustomed to having, she will stop at nothing to keep it.Amber Sykowski is the mother of Terrance’s oldest son. She comes from a long line of money and has always been ridiculed by her racist mother for having a bi-racial child. She feels the only way to escape her mother's disapproval is to go against everything she was taught, and make her own rules. When it almost costs her life, Amber has to make a hard decision that could turn her entire world upside down.In several unexpected events all three women eventually come to depend on each other forming a unique and unexpected bond. Will "The Arrangement' help them all to learn the value of forgiveness, love, and friendship?

The Wives We Play


Briana Cole - 2018
    It's easier that way. Her needs are taken care of and she doesn't have to give more of herself than she wants to. No messy feelings involved. But when the man she's seeing poses an unexpected question, Kimera quickly realizes that she's not the only woman pulled in by his charm.Their new arrangement doesn't require much from Kimera, but she soon discovers that someone else is pulling the strings. She's not looking for complications, yet she can't help feeling that there's something devious at play.And the truth is more complicated than she could ever imagine . . .

Coast Road / Three Wishes


Barbara Delinsky - 1998
    After ten years of marriage, they divorced and went their separate ways. Jack stayed in San Francisco. Rachel moved with their two young daughters to Big Sur.Six years later, an alarming middle-of-the-night phone call demands that Jack put aside his own busy life and career as a leading architect to rush to his ex-wife's hospital bed. While she lies comatose, Jack maintains a bedside vigil and finds himself getting to know Rachel better than he ever did -- through their daughters, her friends, and, even more, through her art. Meanwhile, the beauty and grace of the Redwood canyon where she has made her home also work their own special alchemy upon Jack. He begins to see Rachel, his daughters, and the story of his marriage with new eyes.Three WishesWhat if wishes really could come true?It's the question facing waitress Bree Walker when she awakens in the hospital following a blizzard in sleepy Panama, Vermont. While she can't recall the near-tragedy that landed her there, she's overcome with the certainty that she has been granted three wishes. One seems to have come true already; at her side is renowned author Tom Gates, the accident's only witness, who had come to Panama to make sense of his fame; and who now makes Bree his cause.Suddenly, the things Bree has wanted most; a home, a soul mate, a family; are within her grasp. But are the wishes real? And if they are, what is their price? As Bree and Tom consider what their hearts truly require, they discover that to live their dreams, they will have to take unimagined risks....

Much Ado About a Kiss


Heather Tullis - 2017
    Running the café she’d practically been raised in: Check. Her artwork in a gallery: Check. Volunteering on the library board: Check. The one thing she doesn’t need right now is a guy in her life—especially her brother’s irritating best friend from high school, so when the two men announce that they are moving home to start a ski and mountain bike shop in town, she isn’t pleased. If only she could completely forget that one kiss she and Austin shared in high school. Why does he have to upset her just-fine world? Not this time. Not if she can help it. But can she?

. . . and Baby Makes Two: A Novel


Judy Sheehan - 2005
    But that’s before she sees the perfect child. There he sits in his stroller, angelic and beautiful, magnetic and serene– and he makes Jane question everything she has and everything she thought she wanted. Suddenly all she can see are babies and pregnant woman everywhere. Were there always so many of them? And while there was once a man in her life–her one true love, Sam, gone from this world too soon–there is no man now. Jane must make a choice: possibly become a bitter and childless old lady, letting her biological clock tick on ’till menopause, or tend the ache in her heart now, by becoming a single mother. As Jane struggles to make the most important decision of her life, friends and family offer no shortage of opinions. There’s Ray, her “hubstitute” and gay best friend who would be jealous of any kid who got Jane as a mom; Sheila, her sister, who went from zero to sixty when she eloped with Raoul–who had two young twin sons– and has mixed feelings about being a new mommy; her strict, Catholic father who can’ t imagine what level of hell Jane would banish herself to if she becomes a single mother; and the women of Families with Children from China who are preparing to adopt orphan daughters–without a man in sight. Just as she thinks she’s made up her mind, Jane discovers one small wrench in her plans: handsome, charming, funny Peter, who just happens to be (unhappily) married. . . . And Baby Makes Two is a heartbreakingly honest, wonderfully addictive, and funny novel about love and loss, family and friendship. Judy Sheehan, co-creator of the smash hit Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, has perfectly captured the delights and dilemmas of the scariest job in the world: motherhood.From the Hardcover edition.

The Land is Bright


Elizabeth Murphy - 1989
    Sally lavishes all her hopes and dreams on her baby sister Emily, determined that she’ll leave the mean streets of their Liverpool home and enjoy a better life. When Emily is sent to live with rich relatives, it seems like her wish has come true, but the chance is bittersweet.Sally and her family may face poverty and hardship in Liverpool, but the warmth and love shared will help them overcome whatever the world has to throw at them; Emily, however, wanting for nothing, might find out that happiness is harder to find…Full of authentic details of Liverpool life at the turn of the century, The Land is Bright is a totally absorbing saga perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Helen Forrester.‘A family saga you just won’t be able to put down’ Prima‘The whole-heartedness of Liverpool shines through in a refreshing tribute to Merseyside’ Liverpool Daily Post‘Murphy is born and bred, and sets her first novel in her beloved city, giving the book that vital authenticity which makes it so realistic’ Hull Daily Mail‘Rich in authentic period details, The Land is Bright is a time machine back to the past. This is how history should be written!’ Terrace Review‘Evocative writing’ Woman’s World‘Richly nostalgic’ Publishing News‘A thundering great read’ Liverpool Echo The Liverpool Sagas The Land is Bright To Give and To Take There is a Season

Excess Baggage


Judy Astley - 2000
    But as a penniless and partnerless house-painter with an expired lease on her flat and a twelve-year-old daughter, she could hardly turn down her parents' offer to take them on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Caribbean. She'd just have to put up with her sister Theresa (making no secret of preferring Tuscany as a holiday destination) and brother Simon (worrying that there might be some sinister agenda behind their parents' wish to take them all away) with their various spouses, teenagers, young children and au pair. In a luxury hotel, with bright sunshine, swimming, diving, glorious food and friendly locals, any family tensions should have melted away in the fabulous heat. The children should have been angelic, the teenagers cheerful, the adults relaxed and happy. But...some problems just refuse to be left at home.

Distant Shores


Kristin Hannah - 2002
    From a distance, their lives look picture perfect. But after the girls leave home, Jack and Elizabeth quietly drift apart. When Jack accepts a wonderful new job, Elizabeth puts her own needs aside to follow him across the country. Then tragedy turns Elizabeth’s world upside down. In the aftermath, she questions everything about her life—her choices, her marriage, even her long-forgotten dreams. In a daring move that shocks her husband, friends, and daughters, she lets go of the woman she has become—and reaches out for the woman she wants to be.--back cover

The Nantucket Beachfront Inn: Sconset Beach Book One


Ainsley Keaton - 2022
    Unemployable at her age, and broken-hearted by a husband who left her in the lurch, she desperately needs a Plan B. Her prayers are answered when a wealthy benefactor wills her a large house in the 'Sconset Beach area of Nantucket. She heads out to the picturesque New England island with her two best friends, Luna and Mila, going along for the ride.One catch...her estranged daughter also lives there. Charlotte Killeen, Ava's daughter, is battling a crisis of her own. Her new husband, Matthew, wants a divorce, even though the couple have a newborn baby. Charlotte needs her mother more than ever, but the two have never seen eye to eye. Her marriage on the rocks and with few prospects for income, Charlotte is near the end of her rope. Then a life-threatening illness brings into focus what's important after all.Ava's other daughter, Samantha, also lives on Nantucket Island, with her best friend and roommate, Grayson. Samantha suffers from a lack of direction in her life, and longs to meet a rich prince charming who will sweep her off her feet. When she meets the man of her dreams, she's leaving behind the one man who loves her unconditionally - Grayson.Jackson, Ava's son, is an aspiring actor in Hollywood. Everything has always come easy to him, that is until Willow, Matthew's cousin, shows up. Free-spirited Willow is just the kind of girl to break Jackson's heart, which is difficult to do, as Jackson is always the heartbreaker.And speaking of Willow...she's a feminist island witch and artist. She and Jackson have been through many, many lifetimes together. Yet, Willow wants nothing to do with Jackson in this lifetime. She has no desire to give up even an ounce of her power, not even for her soul mate. Willow also is hiding a devastating secret from Jackson. A secret that is guaranteed to upend his life for good.Mila, Ava's best friend, is battling a devastating illness, information that she hasn't shared with Ava and Luna. She never wants to be a burden, so she just doesn't ask for help. But she's going to need all the support she can get. She finds this support in a very surprising place, and, in doing so, gets closer to her own destiny.Ava busies herself with fixing up her beautiful new beach home, so that she can open up a bed and breakfast. Contractor Deacon Cromwell, whom Ava hires to do the renovation, is the man who might thaw Ava's cold heart, if only she'll let him. However, he's almost 20 years her junior and, Ava believes, out of her league. Can Ava overcome her insecurities and allow herself to love again?In this feel-good beach read with a touch of magick, Ava and her friends and family will become your best friends. Come and share their joys and heartbreaks, their tragedies and triumphs. For fans of Susan Mallery, Jude Devereaux Nantucket Bride series and Elin Hilderbrand!

Just for the Summer (Willowbury #3)


Fay Keenan - 2021
    While her three sons spend the summer holiday with their father, Kate has an opportunity to prove to herself that there is a new life, after her divorce.Harry Sinclair is the owner of Vale Volumes book shop on Willowbury High Street. Content, if a little bored with his lot, his shop, as well as his life, could do with freshening up. When Kate offers to spruce up Vale Volumes ready for the visit of a famous author, they find they have a lot more in common than colour schemes.But both have secrets and responsibilities, and when the trials of family life threaten their burgeoning friendship, can they overcome the experiences of their pasts? Will Somerset’s most magical town cast its spell on them? Or will Kate and Harry have to concede that their friendship really is just for the summer?Let Fay Keenan transport you to the perfect British summertime, with beautiful countryside, an unforgettable romance, and just the right dose of escapism. Perfect for all fans of Debbie Macomber, Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde.

The Affair


Colette Freedman - 2013
    Then one day, Kathy discovers a suspicious number on her husband’s phone. Six years before, Kathy accused Robert of infidelity—a charge he vehemently denied—and almost destroyed their marriage in the process.Now Kathy must decide whether to follow her suspicions at the risk of losing everything, or trust the man with whom she’s entwined her past, present, and future. As she grapples with that choice, she is confronted with surprising truths not just about her relationship, but about her friends, family, and her own motivations.

Once Broken


D.M. Hamblin - 2016
    It's a story about a single mother, Jackie Martin, who has two objectives: First to raise her daughter, Gina with her self-esteem unscathed by her father’s abandonment; Second, to see her daughter’s father, Tony Salvucci suffer for his abandonment. Both objectives come to pass. With lots of twists and turns and memorable characters, Once Broken is an inspirational story about forgiveness vs. revenge and living one's life moving forward, no matter how painful the past.